House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Oct 2003 (pt 17)

Street Crime

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General what steps the CPS has taken to narrow the gap between the overall levels of crimes recorded by the police and the offences brought to justice (a) in general and (b) with particular reference to hate crimes. [128720]

The Solicitor-General: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is narrowing the justice gap by improving performance so that cases are better prepared, increasing early guilty pleas and ensuring more contested cases reach trial. They are taking a number of steps to achieve this, including increasingly giving early advice to the police so that the case is reviewed early and the appropriate charge laid; improving case preparation and communication with the police to reduce the number of committals discharged; providing greater support to victims and witnesses by providing more information about the progress of the case so that they continue to support the prosecution and reduce the number of ineffective trials, and helping them through the trial process by, where appropriate, using video

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evidence, screens, and other special measures; working with local community groups so that local communities can see that the work of the CPS is responsive to their concerns.

The CPS is working with colleagues in other criminal justice agencies, through the Local Criminal Justice Boards, to:

(a) bring more offenders to justice; and

(b) increase public confidence in the CJS.

With particular reference to hate crimes, the CPS has produced three Public Policy Statements since November 2001 on Domestic Violence, Homophobic Crime, Racially and Religiously Aggravated Crime, and given specific training to lawyers on domestic violence and racially and religiously aggravated crimes. Work is currently under way to develop training with regard to homophobic crime. The training involves lawyers hearing from victims or practitioners who work directly with victims.

In February 2003, the CPS held a conference in Cardiff specifically on reducing the justice gap in hate crimes. This included representatives from voluntary sector organisations, other criminal justice agencies, the Bar and the Law Society, and a number of academics and focused on ways to improve the performance of prosecutors.

The success of the CPS in increasing public confidence and reducing the justice gap, particularly as regards vulnerable communities, is subject to scrutiny and comment by HMCPS Inspectorate in their regular reports.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bursaries

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) further education and (b) higher education bursaries are available to students studying in Northern Ireland. [132788]

Jane Kennedy: The payment of further and higher education bursaries is determined by demand. All Northern Ireland domiciled students whose family incomes are less than £20,000 are eligible to apply for bursaries of up to £2,000. These bursaries are payable to eligible NI students studying in Northern Ireland, elsewhere in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Figures relating to students studying in NI in receipt of a bursary are currently not available. However, in the 2002–03 academic year, bursaries were awarded to (a) 415 in further education and (b) 11,959 students studying in higher education in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Civil Partnership

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that Northern Ireland is included from the outset in any forthcoming bill on civil partnership; and if he will make a statement; [129295]

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(3) what research (a) he has assessed and (b) will be commissioned on the consequences for same-sex couples who move to Northern Ireland of a civil partnership law only applying in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement; [129297]

(4) what he estimates would be the cost of processing and legislating a civil partnership law separately for Northern Ireland through an Order in Council; and if he will make a statement. [129298]

Mr. Pearson: There has been no decision yet as to whether the civil partnership registration scheme set out in the consultation paper issued by the Department of Trade and Industry should be extended to Northern Ireland. My officials are currently examining those proposals with a view to issuing a consultation paper in the autumn. Beyond that, no decision has yet been taken as to whether a parallel civil partnership registration scheme should be introduced in Northern Ireland. In examining the DTI proposals, my officials are considering the possible impact for Northern Ireland of the introduction of a civil partnership registration scheme across a wide range of areas, including those areas where Northern Ireland law and practice differ from England and Wales. This preliminary consideration also includes an examination of the likely impact on couples who register their partnership under the scheme in England and Wales and who subsequently move to Northern Ireland. There is little information on how many such couples there may be, but work is on-going between officials in Northern Ireland and their counterparts in the Department of Trade and Industry. No calculation of the estimated costs of processing and legislating a civil partnership law separately for Northern Ireland through an Order in Council has been carried out.

Electoral Rolls

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he proposes to enable citizens of countries who will be admitted to European Union membership in April 2004 and who are resident in Northern Ireland to be admitted to the franchise in time for the European elections in June 2004; and if he will make a statement. [132695]

Jane Kennedy: The Local and European Parliamentary Elections (Registration of Citizens of Accession States) Regulations 2003 and the Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003 were introduced earlier this year in time for the annual electoral registration canvass. These regulations permit citizens of states due to accede to the European Union next year who are resident in Northern Ireland to register to vote in local government and European parliamentary elections to be held on or after 1 May 2004.

Health Service Funding

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what budget funding was given to the Northern

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Ireland National Health Service in each of the last three years expressed (a) by percentage change and (b) as a percentage of Northern Ireland GDP. [132789]

Angela Smith: The information is as follows:

(a) In Northern Ireland, health services are fully integrated with personal social services in a single financing, planning and delivery system—the HPSS (health and personal social services). It follows that the HPSS budget is considerably larger than a separate health budget would be. The figures in the table reflect this fact.

Health and Personal Social Services

2000–01 budget allocation (£ million) 1,976.3

2001–02 budget allocation (£ million) 2,238.7

Percentage change from 2000–01 13.27

2002–03 budget allocation (£ million) 2,475.3

Percentage change from 2001–02 10.5

2003–04 budget allocation (£ million) 2,898.6

Percentage change from 2002–03 17.1

	Health and Personal Social Services
2000–01 budget allocation (£ million)	1,976.3
2001–02 budget allocation (£ million)	2,238.7
Percentage change from 2000–01	13.27
2002–03 budget allocation (£ million)	2,475.3
Percentage change from 2001–02	10.5
2003–04 budget allocation (£ million)	2,898.6
Percentage change from 2002–03	17.1

(b) The following table shows budget funding for the HPSS estimated as a percentage of Northern Ireland GDP. In addition to the fact that they derive from an HPSS (as opposed to a merely "health") budget, the percentage shares reflect Northern Ireland's exceptionally high need for expenditure on public services—health and social care included.

HPSS budget allocation estimated as a percentage of GDP

2001–02 11.65

2002–03 12.3

2003–04 14

	HPSS budget allocation estimated as a percentage of GDP
2001–02	11.65
2002–03	12.3
2003–04	14

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much each absent parent is expected to contribute towards their children's care; who makes the decision on levels of payment; and what account is taken of the parents' work status. [128073]

Mr. Pond: In the new child support scheme non-resident parents with net incomes of over £200 will pay 15 per cent. of their net income for one child; 20 per cent. for two children and 25 per cent. for three or more children. Allowances will be made for any children in the non-residents parent's current household.

Those with net income over £100 up to and including £200 will pay a reduced rate on a sliding scale. Those non-resident parents with net earnings of £100, or on benefit, will pay a flat rate of £5.

Mr. Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time staff were employed by the Child Support Agency in Essex on 15 September. [132634]

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Mr. Pond: In the month of September the Child Support Agency employed 80 full time staff and 25 part time staff in Essex.

Mr. Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has commissioned on the cancellation of driving licences for those who have not properly maintained child support payments in (a) EU countries, (b) the USA and (c) Canada; and if he will make a statement. [134063]

Mr. Pond: In developing our proposals for child support reform we considered the experiences of a range of countries including the USA, Australia, Canada and a number of EU countries.

The powers in sections 14A (information-offences) and 39A to 40B (commitment to prison and disqualification from driving) of the Child Support Act 1991 are intended to help the Child Support Agency to secure compliance. Their success is in the extent to which non-resident parents co-operate with the Agency.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reports he has received of former Child Support Agency employees setting up businesses specialising in CSA cases; what assessment he has made of the implications of these businesses for the administration of the CSA; and if he will make a statement. [125659]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 17 July 2003:

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

You ask what reports he has received of former Child Support Agency employees setting up businesses specialising in CSA cases; what assessment he has made of the implications of these businesses for the administration of the CSA; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of a number of bodies who offer a variety of services about child support, for example through internet sites ranging from shared experience to claiming to be able to influence maintenance assessments. I am also aware that some of the bodies attempt to validate their service by claiming to be ex-employees of the Child Support Agency. Where the advice offered is constructive and accurate I welcome its availability. When staff leave the Agency they are reminded of their responsibilities to keep confidential personal information gained during their service.

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